schwartz



G. .F. SCHWARTZ.

THERMOSTATIC VALVE.

APPLlcAloNFlLED Aufms. 1918.

1,824,070. y Patented Dec. 93919.

III/III 2f @im vso that the threads on it jam against the` oas- UNITED sTATEs PATENT ornron.

` GERHARDT F. SCHWARTZ, OF STfiLOUIS, MISSOUBL- THERMOSTATIC VALVE.

Application filed August 26, 1918. Serial No. 251,567. V

larly such a valve having a snap action, the" opening and" closing action being instantaneous when theV heated medium has reached either of the predetermined extreme l temperatures between which it is desiredto maintain the said medium. An object of the invention is to provide such a "valve which maybe readily and accurately-regulated from the outside of the casing without jamming the fulcrum points, or forcing the lever out of proper alinement, or forcing the adjustment screw out of vertical alinement ing, and which will despite such flexibility of movement be positive and forceful in action. It isalso proposed in the present invention to prevent the gas from back firing and burning in the mixer, which often results from the gradual increasing of the liow, and to this end I provide a snap acting valve actuated by a cam orl trip.

Anotherobject is to provide such a valve having a maximum degree of movement with binding or frictional retardation reduced to a negligible quantity. With the present invention it is proposed to permit the passage of gas, steam, water, vapor, or the like through the valve casing in such manner as to produce a device of this character of great compactness, and of simple and inexpensive construction.

With these and other objects in view my invention is shown in the accompanying' drawings, and will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:v

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view improved valve,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertlcal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, l-

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of the valve closure member, and

Fig. 5 is a top view thereof.,`

of my Specification of Letters Patent.

.comprises a casing 10, having Patented Dec. 9, 119119.

, Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

and more partlcularly to Fig. 1 thereof,

my invention a threaded extension 11 at one end thereof, to which is secured one end of a bushing 12, which is' screwed at its other end into the wall of the holler, or heater 13, containing the heated medlum intended to be regulated by the valve. An `elongatedI tube 14, preferably of copper orv other suitable material having a high degree of expansion and contraction by heat or cold is secured to the inner wall of the bushing 13 and extends intothe boiler, bein closed at its end by a plug 15, and

interlorly is provided with a porcelain rod 16, the ends of whichl respectively engage the said plug 15, and a steel rod or plunger 17 disposed within a extension 11 of the caslng.

-Within the casingat the rear of the passage 18, there is provided a supporting lug or projection 19,' to either side of which are pvoted the legs 20, 21 of a hinged block 22, extending forwardly in the casing and rovided at each sidewith upwardly exten in'g pillars orprojections 23 and 24.

A set screw 25 provided in the casing engages the lower side of the block 22, and is provided at its outer end with a'kn'urled head.

Between the lower endof they plunger 17 and the upper surface of the block 22, there is disposed the short end of-a lever 26, the knife edges of the fulcrum extensions 27 and 28 thereof resting respectively on the projections 23 and 24, and a knife edge 29 on the 'upper side of the lever engaging the lower end of the said lplunger.l The lever is thus enabled to function properly in any position of adjustment without jamming on the block 22 or the plunger 17. The long arm of the lever is stepped in shape and extends to the` 'forward end of the oasing,.a ,spring30 being arranged intermediately between the lever and the' upper side of the casing.

At its forward end the lever is connected to a trip lever 31 fulcrumed at 32 to a depending support 33, by means of a pitman or connecting link 34 pivotally connected at its ends respectively to the lever 31 and a projection 34.a on the lever 26. A triangular cam 35 is provided on the end of the lever passage 18 provided in the 31, which engages a small roller 36 provided on the end of a lever 37, fulcrumed at 38 to a depending support 39 pivotally secured to a lug 40 on the upper wall of the casing. The roller 36 isheld in engagement with the cam 35by means of a spring 41, connecting the said cam and the support 39, a similar spring (not shown) being provided at the other side.

Gas, steam, oil, water, vapor, or other medium enters the thermostatic case by means of a pipe 42, and leaves by a pipe 43, 1n which is disposed a sliding valve closure 44, having an upwardly extending guide portion 45 having preferably four quarter angles, which permit the iow of gas, and at the same time guide the valve vertically, and a downwardlyv extending portion 4,6 provided with a rectangular opening 47 therein in which is disposed the end of the lever 37.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: Assuming the valve to be in the closed position shown in Fig. 1, the supply of gas being out off. 4The heating medium within the boiler gradually cools causing a corresponding contraction of the copper tube 14. It will be seen that as the tube 14 contracts, Vthe porcelain rod within will bel forced downwardly together with the plunger, causing pressure on the short arm of the lever 26, which lifts the long arm. As the long arm is lifted the triangular camon the end of the lever 31 is forced downwardly, the inclined surface moving the lever 37 longitudinally. The jointed connection between the'levers 31 and 26 prevents any appreciabley binding or friction during the action of the valve. This action continues until the point'of the camcomes in line with the aXis of the roller, whereupon with a snap movement theV roller slidesalongthe upper inclined surface of the cam, depressing the outer end of the lever 37 andldrawing the closure member 44 into open position. Gas thereupon enters the pipe 43, es-

caping from the casing through the four quarter angles of the portion 45 of the valve. As the heating medium again becomes heated, the copper tube expands, and the valves operate to close in a reverse manner, the spring 30 holding the knife edge 29 in engagement with the plunger, and forcing the lever 26 gradually downward correspondingly with the expansion of the tube 14. l

In order to regulate the valve the short arm of the lever is raised or lowered, as the case may be', byturning the set screw 25 from the outside of the casing. In this manner the valve may be accurately adjusted, without jamming ofthe fulcrum points, effecting the alinement of the parts, or forcing the adjustment screw outvof Avertical alinement so that the threads on it jam against the casing. The action of the trip lever is Without binding or frictional retardation.

By reason of the snap acting valve, back lire is efectually prevented.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory form of my invention, but it is obvious that changes may'be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a thermostatic valve, an expansible and contractible element, a lever adapted to be moved thereby, a hinged member adapted to support the fulcrum point of said lever, means for raising and lowering said hinged member, said fulcrum point having longitudinal sliding engagement with said hinged member whereby movement of' said member about its hinge effects raising and lowering of said lever but does not move the same longitudinally, a valve, and means operated by said lever adapted to open and close said valve.

2. In a thermostatic valve, an eXpansible and contractible element, a lever adapted to. be moved thereby, a hinged member adapted to support the fulcrumpoint of said lever at one side, an adjustable set screw engaging said lever at the other side substantially in line with said fulcrum point, said fulcrum point having sliding engagement with said hinged member whereby movement of said member about its hinge effects raising and lowering of said lever but does not move` the same longitudinally, a valve, and means operated by said lever adapted to open and close said valve.

3.' In a thermostatic valve, an eXpansible and contractible element, a lever adapted to be moved thereby and having a knife edged fulcrum, a'hinged member adapted to support the fulcrum point of said lever, means for raising and lowering said hinged member, said fulcrum point having longitudinal sliding engagement with said hinged member whereby movement of said member about its hinge effects raising and lowering of said lever but does not move the same longitudinally, a valve, and means operated by said lever adapted to open and close said valve. l

4. IIn a thermostatic valve of the character described, an eXpansible and contractible element, a lever of the irst class engaged at its short arm by said element and adapted to be moved thereby, a hinged member having swinging movement transversely of the length of said lever and adapted' to support the fulcrum point of said lever, adjustable means for swinging said hinged member, said fulcrum point having longitudinal sliding engagement with said hlnged member whereby movement of said member about its hinge effects raising and lowering but does not move the same longitudinally, a valve, and means operated by said lever adapted to open and close said 5. In a thermostatic valve, an eXpansible and contractible element, a lever adapted to be slowly moved thereby during expansion and contraction, rmeans adapted to support the fulcrum point of said lever, a valve, a pivoted member adapted to open and close said valve and a lever having point contact with the end of said pivoted member, means yieldably holding said lever in engagement With said pivoted member, said last mentioned lever adapted to be actuated by means of said first mentioned lever and adapted to fully actuate said pivoted member as said last mentioned lever moves at either side of the dead center formed by said point contact, said pivoted member being stationary during movement of said last mentioned member at the other side of the dead center. 6. In a thermostatic valve of theJ character described, an eXpansible and contractible element, a lever adapted to be slowly moved thereby during expansion and contraction, means adapted to support the fulcrum point of said lever, a valve, a pair of levers dis- -posed end to end, a pivoted support pivotally supporting one of said levers intermediate its ends and permitting longitudinal and swinging movement thereof, a support pivotally supporting the other of said levers, one of said levers having a pointed end, a roller at the end of the other of said levers engaged by said pointed end, means yieldably holding said levers in engagement, one

be slowly moved thereby during expansion and contraction, means adapted to support the fulcrum point of said lever, a valve, a pivoted member adapted to open and close said valve, and a lever having point contact With the end of said pivoted member, means yieldably holding said lever in engagement with said pivoted member, a jointed connection connecting said last mentioned lever to said first mentioned lever, said last mentioned lever adapted to be actuated by means of said first mentioned lever and adapted to fully actuate said pivoted member'as said last mentioned lever moves at either side of the dead center formed by said point con tact, said pivoted member being stationary during movement of said last mentioned member at the other side of the dead center. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

GERHARDT F. SCHVARTZ. Witnesses Y CHARLES B. VVRIGHTSMAN,

L. J. SHARP. 

